SHANNEN Doherty, star of Beverly Hills, 90210, admitted to feeling hopeful about her cancer treatment just weeks before her death.
The Charmed star died on Saturday at the age of 53 following her nine-year battle with breast cancer.
While speaking on her Let’s Be Clear podcast at the end of June, Doherty said that the molecular structure of her cancer cells had recently changed.
The update came after Doherty had revealed her cancer had spread to her bones and brain over the past year.
The Charmed star said there were “a lot more protocols for her to try,” adding that she was feeling “hopeful.”
Doherty said that she was unsure at the time of how long she would need chemotherapy in the coming months, noting how it wasn’t something she or her doctors could predict.
“It’s scary, it’s like, a big wake up call,” she admitted.
Doherty then mentioned the positive aspect of her changed cells, which would allow her to receive more treatment options.
“So, you know, for the first time in a couple of months probably, I feel hopeful because there are so many more protocols now,” she explained.
“Whereas before, I was hopeful, but I was still getting prepared.”
After initially being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, Doherty lost her years-long battle with the disease on Saturday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” the star’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, told People.
“On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease.”
“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie.
“The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace,” Sloane continued.
Doherty’s death came after she revealed in November that the cancer had spread to her bones.
Despite the devastating update, she told People at the time, “I’m not done with living.”
“I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better,” the actress added. “I’m just not – I’m not done.”
After her initial diagnosis nine years ago, the Hollywood actress went into remission in 2017 after undergoing chemotherapy.
However, in 2019, Doherty announced that the cancer had returned and confirmed it was stage four breast cancer one year later.
In June 2023, she revealed that the cancer had spread to her brain and that she underwent a procedure to remove the tumor.
“When you ask yourself, ‘Why me? Why did I get cancer?’ and then, ‘Why did my cancer come back? Why am I stage 4?’ that leads you to look for the bigger purpose of life,” she told the abovementioned outlet.
She also said that she wasn’t afraid of dying.
“I think I would be afraid of death if I wasn’t a good person, but I am,” she explained.
“I’m not afraid of dying, I just don’t want to die, like, ever.”
Doherty entered Hollywood as a child actor on the TV series Little House on the Prairie, appearing in four episodes of the show’s final season.
She went on to appear in the animated film The Secret of NIMH and an episode of the TV series Airwolf.
She starred as Maggie Malene in the teen movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun in 1985.
Just five years later, she landed her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in the hit series Beverly Hills, 90210.
After leaving the show in 1994, Doherty went on to star in the series Charmed, as well as films such as Heathers, Mallrats, and Christmas Caper.
The actress has recently delved into the world of podcasting, hosting her own Let’s Be Clear show.
The podcast launched its latest episode on July 8.
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